HR0710 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0710 LRB100 15703 ALS 30823 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, National Eating Disorders Awareness Week is designated as the calendar week commencing the last Sunday in February; and

WHEREAS, Thirty million Americans will struggle with an eating disorder at some point in their lives; and

WHEREAS, Eating disorders affect people of all ages, races, sizes, sexual orientations, ethnicities, and socioeconomic statuses; and

WHEREAS, Eating disorders, including the specific disorders of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder, and other specified feeding or eating disorders, are complex, biologically-based illnesses; and

WHEREAS, Persons with eating disorders have amongst the highest mortality rate of all mental illnesses; and

WHEREAS, Eating disorders have a high prevalence amongst active military servicemembers and veterans; and

WHEREAS, Health professionals receive limited or no formal training about eating disorders or the identification and treatment of such orders; and

WHEREAS, Eating disorders can be successfully treated with interventions at the appropriate durations and levels of care, yet only one third of persons with eating disorders receive any medical, psychiatric, or therapeutic care; and

WHEREAS, Best practice treatment of eating disorders includes patients, their families, and a comprehensive team of professionals, such as social workers, mental health counselors, primary care practitioners, psychiatrists, psychologists, dietitians, art therapists, and other specialty providers; and

WHEREAS, To inform evidence-based treatments, promote prevention efforts, facilitate early identification, and provide insight on illness causation and the damaging effects of eating disorders upon minds and bodies, more research is needed; and

WHEREAS, Every 62 minutes, someone dies as a result of an eating disorder; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we recognize the week of February 26 through March 4, 2018 as National Eating Disorders Awareness Week; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we support the goals and ideals of a national week to raise public awareness and understanding of eating disorders; we recognize the rate at which individuals in the United States are affected by eating disorders and the inadequate rate at which such individuals week treatment; we acknowledge that eating disorders can be successfully treated with appropriate levels of care and that individuals with eating disorders can and do recover; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we encourage the Federal Government, State and local governments, and citizens of the United States to support National Eating Disorders Awareness Week through appropriate programs and activities and to promote public awareness of eating disorders.